Candida-Safe Sweeteners

[Shannonsparkles]

How many of us here are on the (damned) candida diet? Serriously??

Anyway, here's some stuff to ease the suffering. These are some sweeteners that are considered safe to use while fighting candida. I've personally guinea-pigged each of them. Just be cautious in trying them, as with anything, and see how you do with them.

Stevia
A herb with anti-fungal properties and no calories. VERY sweet, only a tiny ammount is needed. The sweetness doesn't hit the tongue at once; it's more of an aftertaste, encourages you to hold things in your mouth longer. Some people find there is a disagreeable licorice taste to stevia, but if the stevia is cooked in a recipe or has boiling water poured over it, as in a tea, the funny taste dissappears. It's good to buy pure stevia powder if you have candida. Otherwise it either has fillers such as maltodextrin, or is in an alcohol solution. A caution: this is antifungal, so it's possible to get some die-off or cravings.

100% Pure Vegetable Glycerine
This is a clear syrup made from coconut oil. It is about 1 1/2 times sweeter than sugar. It has a very faint taste, and gives a slight warming sensation when placed directly on the tongue. Some cooks say that it loses some of its sweetness when heated, so if using in a recipe, add it at the end, or use extra if needed. In baking, it makes things brown faster. A nice use of vegetable glycerine is in plain yogurt, because the syrup mixes in smoothly. A caution: like everything else, see how you react to it before starting to use it regularly.
"The Candida Control Cookbook" by Gail Burton, features dessert recipes using vegetable glycerine - even pecan pie!

Xylitol
A white, crystalized sweetener traditionally made from birch, but sometimes made from corn or other sources. It looks, tastes, measures and cooks just like table sugar, making it very versitile. Deffinately a boon for cravings - I even find myself calling it 'sugar' at times. It's pricey, like the others, but if you can get it in bulk, it's cheaper. A caution: this sweetener is a laxative for some people. Try a small ammount to start with and increase it gradually; the body will get used to it. Don't do what I did and eat a cup of it on the first night!!! Some people get an anti-fungal effect with xylitol, so it is possible to get die-off.

Other Sweeetening Agents
Cinnamon & Spices
Lends a mild sweetness to baked goods, as do mace and the other 'warming' spices.

Nuts
Are mildly sweet on their own. When ground nuts are used in baking along with the spices, no other sweetener may be needed.

Licorice root
Makes a tea with a sweetness simaller to stevia. Funky taste to me, though.

Anise seeds
Have a sweet licorice taste when chewed. I like them mixed with canned tuna or in salad.

Fresh Fruit (not canned and dried)
If your diet permits. Find out wich fruits are okay for you personally, because there is some debate about which kinds of fruit are 'safe'. It's different for everyone. The 'safest' are lemon, lime, and unsweetened cranberry; they are anti-candida. If you are compelled to eat large ammounts of fruit, it may be feeding your candida; in that case it would be best to stop eating the fruit for a month or two before trying to bring it back in. Applesauce and other fruit purees can replace both the fat and sweetener in baking recipes.

Long post!! If anyone has some other candida-safe sweeters to share, please please post them for the rest of us!!! Eternally grateful!!!

 

[ldbgcoleman]

You may try different brands of Stevia. Some are more bitter than others! Thanks for the Info I have been sugar free for 32 weeks now and have pretty much stuck to the Candida diet for 28. I have lost 30 lbs now and my IBS has completely cleared up. Good luck Lynn

 

[sofy]

my experience with this herb is that I do not like any of the stevia products especially the white ones. What I do like is the 100% pure stevia leaf. I buy a ground leaf product at the helth food store in bulk. Its green and ground to a powder. Ive also seen it a little more coarsely ground but that doesnt mix as well.

All the refined products I tried left an unacceptable after taste. The ground green leaf I use as my only sweetener.

 

[Shannonsparkles]

bump

 

[mermaid01]

This is a subject that rates high on my list, I do not have candida, but I try to watch my weight and carbs without being foolish about it. I have tried the following sugars, I found out many interesting things about the following sugars by googling to find the manufacturers. Following is the list you might like to learn about. It is spendy. Also, I have enjoyed using the following flours in place of white flour.

Sugars:
1. Nature Sweet Brown Crystals, I use it in place of white or brown sugars.
2. Nature Sweet Powder, I use it in place of powdered sugar-frostings & more.
Nature Sweet is the brand name, there are several company's making this sugar. Look up Maltitol, that is the raw material and the manufacturer is generous with information.

3. Erythritol: another sugar, look this up too at "low carb success"
4. Stevia: look this up to learn about its properties.
5. Splenda: I use this everyday in my tea and cereals, excreta.
There are more sugars, I've not tried them so will not comment.
All the articles I have read suggests using some of each brand sugars when cooking, doing this helps the aftertaste and makes for better cooking results.

Good Things:
1. Since I take oxycontin and other meds that make me constipated, I find that using these sugars or buying chocolates from Russell Stover (and other manufactures of candy) help greatly with that problem and takes care of my sweet tooth at the same time.
2. Using these sugars helps me maintain my weight and keep carbs down. It satisfies my sweet tooth and generally improves my attitude you may have to buy these sugars online, for awhile Yokes, a local progressive grocery store sold Nature Sweet, they have since stopped because no one knows much about them, since they cost more than sugar the general public does not understand these sugars. I now buy them online and was pleased to find out that it was not more expensive to buy online; and with the cost of gas well…….
Bad Things:
1. Bloating, not fun at all.
2. Gas, very embarrassing and can be chronic. I use these sugars anyway and try to use common sense about my sweet tooth.
Nut Flours: I am so very happy about these flours. I first bought them from a local county fair; what a find that was! I not only love the nut flours but the oils are great too. When I bake cookies or other baked goods, I now use part nut flour (all kinds of nut flours available), spelt flour, soy flour & wheat flour, sometimes I add a little cap full of the protein powder. Play around with your cookie mix, I feel so great when I take a bite of my healthy great tasting cookie! The best thing that happened to me was when my fussy husband who generally turns his nose up if I give him a healthy bar said to me, " that was the best oatmeal cookie I've ever had"! The reason I started my journey into healthy cooking was when I realized just how much money I was spending on my favorite Atkins bar, s`more's, I bought them at least 2 times a month (a 15 unit case). I just could not justify it anymore! I needed to find something to eat in order to take my meds in the afternoon; it had to be good for me and of course sweet! I hope you enjoy your journey into healthy cooking; there are so many great ingredients you and I still have not tried.